What? Housing! Hotel tips to make your SXSW 2015 rock!

The SXSW Housing Department is here to help you find the right hotel to accommodate your SXSW experience. We work year-round to protect room blocks for SXSW registrants with guaranteed rates at more than 70 Austin hotels; this variety means you have options! Whether you need a downtown hotel complete with all the amenities, or a budget friendly hotel just a short distance away on a shuttle route, to accommodate your band or budding startup, the SXSW Housing Department has options to fit your needs.

SXSW has blocked thousands of rooms at over 70 properties to accommodate our attendees, but Austin’s hotel inventory can’t meet SXSW’s strong initial demand. As SXSW veterans know our inventory, especially downtown, can sell out fast -- some even on launch day! Here are 5 tips to prepare you to book the hotel room that will be sure to make your SXSW 2015 a memorable one.

Top 5 Summer Housing Tips:

Stay in the loop. Follow us on Twitter and join our mailing list so you hear the news first when we announce when registration goes on sale in early August.

Register Quickly! You must register (buy a badge) for SXSW before making a hotel request in order to give everyone a fair shot at SXSW’s room blocks & group rate. Housing will not accept a reservation from anyone until they have registered.

Check Hotel Availability. When online registration and hotel reservations launch in August, check the SXSW hotel availability page to see current, available Austin hotels, room types & rates. As always, we cannot guarantee those exact hotels will be available when you make your request, which is why it is important to make your request EARLY.

Know Your Map. If you’re new to SXSW it is important to understand the lay of the land. Familiarize yourself with the Austin landscape before you make your request so that, even if you are not able to be downtown, you know which area of Austin will work best for your needs.

Don’t Stress! SXSW staff is working around the clock to make this year’s event a success, and the Housing Department is here to help. If you follow these tips, you can make your SXSW a success too!